Knitting-machine



H. EVANS.

KNITTING MACHINE.

Agvucmou min JULY 19.1918.

Ilzslw Patented Mar. 30, 1920.l

M s sHEETs-sHEEr 2. y

&

H.EvANs. KNITTING MACHINE.

- APPLICATION FILED JULY 19,198.

@5353381 1 Patented Mar. 30, 1920.

s SHEETS-SHEET 3.

. Hemphill "UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEioE.

'HUMPHBEY EVANS, OF MQILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO HOLEPROOF HOSIERY GO., OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN; A CORPORATION OF WISCONSIN.

' KNITTING-MACHINE.

Specification yof Letters Patent. Patentedlvlar, 30, 1920,

' Application inea mi? 19, 191s. seriarm. 245.601.

-Machines, of which the following is a speelfication, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part thereof.,`

This invention relates more particularly to circular knitting machines of the socalled Banner type, as shown and described in United StatesLetters Patent No. 933,443, dated September 7, 1909, which are adapted to knit legs and feet on ribbed tops knitted on. other` machines known as ribbers. i

The main objects of the invention are to facilitate the operation known as topping bywhich ribbed stocking tops knitted on ribbers are transferred intoother'niachines for knitting the rest of the stockings; to avoid the hand operations and adjustments which with machines of the type referred 'to as heretofore made, require experience,

skill and care on the part of` operators; to save time; to prevent injury to the inachines and the work; and generally to 1mprove the construction and operation of machines used for this class of work.

lt consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of parts as hereinafter particularly described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing like characters designate the same parts in the severalJ figures.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a portion. of a machine of the type referred to embodying the invention; Fig. 2 is a side ele-- vation of the machine as viewed from theV right relative to Fig. 1: Fig. 3 is a side elevation as viewed from the left relative to Fig. 1, of the pawl and ratchet mechanism for operating the pattern drum, pattern chain, and belt shifting ham which control the operations ofthe machine; Figs. 4 and are front elevations similar to that of Fig. 1, showing parts of the mechanism in different positions for shifting the stitch cam block and controlling the operation of the yarn carriers; Fig. 6 is a plan view of a portion of the latch ring, yarn carriers and needle cylinder; and Fig. I7 isa vertical section` of the latch ring and upper part of the needle cylinder looking toward the yarn carriers and showing a brush on the latch ring for insuring the entry of the yarn to be knitted to the ribbed tops into the hooks of the needles. l The machine comprises a rotary needle cylinder 1, provided as shown in Fig. 2, with long butt needles 2, and short butt-needles 3,; a latch ring 4, pivotally mounted at 5 on a post 6, supported on the frame 7 behind the needle cylinder; a sinker ring 8, a verti cally adjustable cam plate or'ring 9, provided with needle lowering, lifting and levcling cams 10; and a camblock l1, shiftable radially on the cam plate or ring 9 toward and from the needle cylinder' 1, and provided with the usual stitch cams 12 and 13.

Yarn carriers 15, 1.5, are pivotally mounted on one side of the latch ring 4;, and

,springs 16 fastened to the latch ring, tend to turn the carriers downward into and hold them in operative position.

vLifting levers 18, are fulcrumed side by side in a hollow post 19, mounted on a frame .7 at the right hand of the needle cylinder in position to engage with and to raise the yarn carriers .15, 15, out of operative position when the latch ring l1 is turned down, as shown in Fig. 1, into operative 'position over the .needle cylinder.

The vlevers 18 are connected by rods or wires 22 (one of which is shown in l) with levers 28, 23'; actuated b`y cam blocks on the pattern drum 24, for lifting and holding the yarn carriers 15, l15', out of operative position at the proper times. J l

The pattern drum 24 is fixed on a shaft 26, and on this shaft is fixed a ratchet wheel 27, for turning the drum to control Various operations of the machine.l

Next yto the ratchet wheel a chain wheel 29, to which a ratchet Wheel`30 is attached, is loosely mounted on the shaft 26.

As shown in Fig. 3, the ratchet wheels 27 and 30 are actuated by pawls 33 and 34, pivoted to a rocker arm 35 of asegment gear 36, which has actuating connections with the drive 'pulleys'hereinafter mentioned, and serves to impart a reciprocating movement to the needle cylinder.

.A pawl lifter 40, pivotally mounted on the machine frame 7. controls the operation of the ratchet wheel 27 and pattern drum 21k by the pawl A spring 1.11, shown lsa into position to lift/the pawl 33 and hold it out of engagement with the ratchet wheel 27.

A lug 42, projecting from one side of the pawl lifter 40 over the ratchet wheel 27, enlgages one side of the pattern chain 43, which is mounted on the sprocket wheel 2.9 and is provided with lugs as usual in this class o'f machines for controlling themovement of the` pattern drum 24 and of the belt shifting cam 44, which is fixed on the shaft 26.

The machine is provided with fast and slow speedV drive pulleys 47 and 48, and with a loose pulley 49, which are mounted side by side in axial alinernent with a drive shaft 50, through which both continuous-rotary and reciprocating/movements are imparted to the needle cylinder.`

A belt shifter 53, having parallel rods or bars 54 and 55, guided in. the frame 7, is provided with an arm56, projecting into the path ofthe stepped rim of the cam 44. A spring 58, tends to move the belt shifter 53 toward the frame 7 and tok shift the belt 59 from the loose pulley 49 toward the fast' speed-drive pulley 47. Y p

A spring actuated latch 61, is adapted to automatically engage vwith a notch in the rod 54 to lock and hold the belt shifter 53 in its stopping position with the belt 59 on the loose pulley 49, as shown in Fig. 1.

The latch 61'is adapted to be manually dis-' engaged fromv the rod 54 for starting the machine.

The machiney is provided with a spring actuated hook 63, pivotally mounted on the post 19 and adapted by engagement with a stud 64 on the latch ring to lock and hold l the latch ring in place when it is-turned down into operative position, as shown in Fi 1 and 2. r y A 'she cam block 11 is withdrawn into inoperative position at the proper time by 4a cam block or projection 66 on the pattern drum 24 in the path of a lever or follower 67, connected by a rod 68 with a bell crank 'lever 69, 'which is connected by a link 70 with the cam block. A spring 72 between the outer end of the cam block 1,1 and a bracket on the cam plate or ring 9,'tends to shift the cani block inwardly4 toward the needle cylinder.

As thus far described, the machine is like or similar in construction and operation to that shown and described in the Hemphill patent hereinbefore mentioned.

To insure the stopping of the machine with its parts in proper position, to level or restore all the needles tonormal position preparatory .to knitting the leg and foot of a stocking to a ribbed to to insure the proper advance of the stitc cam block into operative position, and to enter the yarn or yarns-to be knit to the top at the proper 65 time without the manual operations and adjustinents of the machine heretofore necessary and requiring time, care and skill on the part of the operator, the following additions and changes constituting the present invention, are made in the machine:

A stop 74 is pivotally mounted on the cam block 11, and adapted by engagement with the vlifting levers 18 to arrest and, hold the yarn carriers 15, 15 out of operative position when the cam block 11 with the stitch cams thereon, is advanced against the short butt needles and said lifting levers are released by the cam blocks or projections on the patternfdrum 24. This stop is formed with-three arms', a middle upwardly projecting arm of suiiicient width at its upper end, as shown in Fig. 2, to coperate withl the several lifting levers, an arm projecting horizontally inward toward the needle cylinder, and an outwardly projectingweighted arm tending to swing and hold themiddle upwardly projecting arm outwardly and provided with ap adjustable steep screw 75 for limiting the utward movement of the middle arm in position to properly coper. ate with the'liftinglevers 18.,

A cam or incline 77, is adjustably mounted on the sinker ringS, which rotates with the needle cylinder in position to engage with the inwardly projecting arm of the stop 74 and turn its middle larm inwardly toward the needle cylinder to release the lifting levers 18 and the yarn carriers which they support and permit them to descend into operative position at a predetermined point in the revolution of` the needle cylinder when the cam block 11 is advanced.

To automatically disengage the hook 63 from the stud 64 and release the latch ring 4 when thecam block 11 is withdrawn from operative position and the machine is stopped, a lever or arm 80, is pivoted on the outer end of the cam block 11, traiisversely to the hook, with the lower end of which it is-adapted to engage as the cam block is Withdrawn from thc needle cylinder into inoperative position. A spring 8l, shown on Fig.` 2, tends to turn the front end of the lever or arm 8() upwardly and to hold it in position ,to engage with the .lower end of the hook 63.v

T0 release the hook 63 and permit it to resume its operative position ior engagement 'with the latch ring when it again turned down into its operative position -after the cam block 11 has been withdrawn and the machine has been stopped, an incline 84 is adjustably attached to the post 19 in the path of the lever or arm 80, which it is ,adapted to force downwardly out of engagement with the lower end of thc hook as the cam block is withdrawn to inoperative position; The incline 84 is also adapted to guide the lever or arri-1 80 below and back of the lower end of the hook G3 when the cam 130 block 11 is advanced, so that whenthecarn block -is again withdrawn, said lever or armv To properly stop the machine, level theneedles and cause the belt shifting cam to clear the belt shifter preparatory to inserting in the machine a transfer ring with a stockthe arm 56 of the belt ing top looped on its quills, and again start ing the vmachine by simply releasing the belt shifter, the pattern chain 43 is provided with a low lug 86, which by engagement at the pawl lifter 40, as shown in Fig. 3, into posi vtion to allow the pawl 33 to engagesucces--Y 'three teeth the intermediatetooth104 is longer than the other two. The cam 44 is forliied, asshown in Fi 1, in the path of sifter and in corresponding angular relation to the first two of said three teeth of the ratchet wheel 27 engaged by thepawl 33 as the lug 42 rides over the pattern chain lug 86, with an ineline 88, for'. first shifting the belt from the pulley 47 upon the pulley 48, a slow speed ste'p89 for holding the .'belt on the slow speed pulley 48 while the cam block 11 is withdrawn andthe needles are leveled, and an incline90 for finally shifting the belt from the pulley 48 upon the pulley 49, and

Stopping the machine.

Fig. 2, with a slow speed step 92, immedi ately following the incline 90, for holding l pulley the belt on'the slowI speed .pulleyl 48 when the machine is first started, until the loops of yarn on the needles are carried below the suikers, the stitch cams on, the cam block 11 are fully advanced into engage- ,ment with the long butt needles, and the yarn carrier 15V is lowered into operative position.y I

The patternchain 43 is also provided with a short low lug 106, closely following the lug 86, for lowering the pawl 33 into position to engage another tooth 107 of the gaged by said tooth to turn the cam 44 forward on the backward throw of the rocker arm 35, a distance corresponding with a part of the long tooth 104 of the ratchet wheel 27, while the slow speed step 89-of the cam is in engagement with the arm.56 of the belt shifter.

The machine maybe equihoed propropertlme with the lug 42, lowers thev formed, as shown in t viding the pattern drum 24 with cam blocks or projections of proper arrangement and extent to lower one or more of the yarn carriersinto operative position when the machine is started, for knitting one or more yarns into the ribbed top. l

j -For the purpose of illustration and eX- planation, the pattern drum is shown in Fig.

1 as provided with a cam block or projection,

97, to cooperate with a single lever or fol lower 23, for releasing the yarn carrier 15 and knitting a single yarn into the top when the machine isstarted. This cam block or projection terminates at its trailing end in line with the cam block 66, which controls the release.and advance of the stitch cam block 11 into operative position so as to simultaneously release said yarn carrier and stitch cam block.`

To insure thefproper entry of the yarnv guided by the carrier 15" into the hooks of the needles when the carrier is lowered into operative position, the latch ring may be provided as shown in Figs. 5, 6 and. 7 with a brush 99, the spindle of which is mounted in an eccentric bushing 100, for the proper adjustment of the brush toward and from the needle cylinder.

In the operation of the machine, which is shown in Figs. 1 and 2, in condition to started, a ribbed top having been properly inserted in the machine by means of a transer ring of the usual construction, with a course of loops adjacent to the unfinished end ot' the top drawn down over the hooks ot' the needles, which have been previously v leveled, while the cam plate or ring 9 is in 1ts`lowest position, the transfer ring ha-vv ,ing been removed and the latch ring turned.

down' and locked inoperative position as shown, lthe machine is started by the operator lifting thelatch 61 out of engagement with the notch in the bar 54. The belt shifter 53 is thereupon' shifted to the left, as shown in Fig. 1,v carrying` the belt 59 from the loose pulley 49 upon the slow speed pulley 48, and the arm 56 into engagement lwith the slow speed step 92.' Vith the first forward throw of the rocker arm 35, the pattern drum 24^is advanced by the engagement of the pawl 33 with the tooth 105 of the ratchetwheel 27 and. the cam blocks 66 and 97 arev carried` out of engagement with the'levers or followers 67 Iand 23. thereby simultaneously releasing the cani block -11 and the lifting lever' 18 which supports the yarn carrier 15. The cam block 11 with the stitch cams, is thereupon ad' 'vanced bythe spring 72 against the short butt needles, and said leverilS is caught on thestop 74, thereby arresting the downward movement of the-yarncarrier 15 which isl thus temporarily held out of operative positlon, as shown in'Fig. 4, until the inwardly projectmg arm of the. stop is engaged by the y manner.

cam 77 and the stop is thereby disengaged from the lever 18 and said yarn carrier is permitted to descend into operative position, as shown in Fig. 5. This occurs at a predetermined point in the rotation of the needle cylinder, say from live to ten needles in advance of the long buttv needles with which the knitting begins. As the long butt needles pass the stitch cams, they are thrust upwardly and drawn 'downward to catch the yarn and knit it into the top in the usual As soon as the short butt needles vclear the cam block 11, it is further and coinpletely advanced by the spring 72 into position to engage with and actuat-e the short butt needles as they are brought by the rotation of the needle cylinder into operative position. I

The rotation of the needle cylinder at slow speed while the arm 5G of the belt shifter engagesthe slow speed step 9-2 of the cam 44, insures the complete advance of t-he cam block 11 by the spring 72 into position to properly engage with lthe short butt needles, and prevents the centrifugal action of the long butt needles running at fastspeed in frictional engagement with the stitch cams, for arresting the advance ofthe cam block by said springbefore it reaches its final position for the operation of both long and 'short butt needles. As soon as the stitch cam block 11 has thus been completely advanced into operative position, the short lug 106 on the pattern chain engaging the lug 42, lowers the pawl lifter 4() into position long enough to engage the next tooth 107 of the ratchet wheel and turn the slow speed step 92 of the cam 44 out of engagement with the arm` 56. The belt shifter 53 being thus released. is thereupon moved by its spring 58 farther to the left and carries the belt 59 from the slow speed pulley 48 upon the fast speed pulley 47.

The machine then continues to operate automatically in the usual way until a stocking is completed. After a number of plain raveling courses have been knitted on the toe, the cam block or projection 97 is brought with the rotation of the patternl drum Q4 into engagement with the lever or follower Q3 and through the connections hereinhefore described. lifts the yarn car` rier 15 into inoperative position. as shown -in Fig. 1. The raveling or nal courses of cams from .the needle cylinder. As the cam block is shifted awav .from the needle cyllnder, the. lever or arin engaging the vlower end of the hook 63, disengages the hook from the stud 64 and releases the latch ring 4, which-is thereupon turned upward yan backward out of operative position by a spring 102l with which vmachines of this kind are usually provided, as shown in Fig. 2.

After the latch ring 4 has been released lby the hook 63 and has been turned up and backby its spring 102, as above stated, the lever or arm80 is forced down by the ineline 84 out of engagement with the lower end of the hook, which is thus released and returned to its normal operative position by its spring, in readiness to engage with the stud 64 and thereby lock the latch ring 4 in place, when it is again turned down by the operator into operative position for knitting anotherI stocking. When the yarn carrier 15 is raised to inoperative position as shown in Fig. 1, by its lifting lever 18, the stop 74 is released and is restored by its weighted arm to its normal position for engagement with the lifting lever when it is again released preliminary to the yarn carrier being turned' down by its spring 16 into opera-tive position.

After the stop the cam 77 from the lifting lever 18 and said lever has descended to the position shown in Fig. 5, it holds the inwardly projecting arm of the stop belovs7 the path of said cam until the lifting lever with the varn carrier which it supports, is again raised. y

After the yarn carrier 15 has been lifted, and the cam block 11 withdrawn from operative position as explained, theineline 88 of the cam 44 having been brought again by the intermittent rotation of the cam to the arm 56, the lug 86 on the pattern chain engaging with the lug 42, lowers the pawl .lifter 40 to the position shown in Fig. 3, and upon the next forward throw of the rocker Varm 35, the ,pawl 33 engaging the tooth 103 of the ratchet wheel 27, turns the cam forward a dist-ance corresponding with said incline, and lshifts the belt from the 'fast speed pulley 47 upon the slow speedY pulley 48. With the next backward throw of the rocker arm'35, the tooth 95. engaging the dog 94, turns the cam 44 while the slow speed step 89 yengages the arm 56, an interval corresponding with a portion of the long 'cylinder in position'k t'o receive loops of another top from the quills of a transfer ring. lVith the next forward throw of the rocker arm 35 the pawl 33 picks up the long tooth 104 of said ratchetwheel and carriesthe incline 90 of the cam 44 past the arm 56,

74 has beenl disengaged by' l ytooth 104 of the ratchet wheel 27. during pass the arm 56 and thereby shifting the belt .from the slow speed' pulley 48 upon the loose pulley 49, and stop `ping the machine with the various movab The ltooth 104 of the ratchet wheel 33 is made long sothat the incline 90 of the cam' 44 will be carried lpast and clear the arm 56, as-shown in Fig. 2, by the .final forward thrust of the pawl 33, and will permit the belt shifter 53 to be thrown back to the left by the spring 58 when the latch is lifted by the operator for starting the machine, as above explained. y

When the belt shifter 53 reachesthe limit of its movement to the right, the latch 61 drops into the notch in the rod 54 and locks it in that position, the high projection of the cam 44 at the end of the incline 90 having cleared the ajrm 56, ,as shown in Fig. 2, thereby leaving the lbelt shifter free to be moved by its spring 58 to the` left, when it is again released by the operator for starting the machine. The dog 94 yields inwardly to tooth 95. y When the machine is again started, the pawl 33 on its first forward thrust engages with the tooth 105 and carries the cam blocks 66 and 97 out of engagement with the levers 67 and 23, thereby releasing the cam block 11 and the yarn carrier 15, as vherein before explained.

Various changes in details of construction and arrangement of parts of the machine may be made without departure from the principle and scope of the invention as dened in the following claims.

I claim:

l. In a knitting machine the combination with the needle cylinder, latch ring nand.

shiftable cam block, of a 'pivotedhook adapted to engage and hold the' latch ring in operative position, an arm pivoted on the cam block and adapted to disengage the hook from the latch ring when the cam block is shifted away from the vneedle cylinder,I and an incline in the path of said arm adapted to disengage it from and release the hook after the hook has released the latch ring.

2. ln a knitting machine the combination with a needle cylinder provided with needles having long and short butts, a latch ring pivotally mounted on the machine frame, a yarn carrier pivotally mounted on the latch ring, a v`lever fulcrumed on the machine frame in position to coperate .with the yarn carrier when the latch ring is in operative position, mechanism for op erating said lever to lift the yarn carrier out of operative position, a cam block shiftable toward and from the needle cylinder, mechanism for shifting the cam block away the needle cylinder at the proper time, and va spring tending to shiftthe cam block tothe stop being a .gagement from' ward the cylinder, of a stopl pivotally mounted on the cam block and adapted by engagement with said lever to hold the .yarn carrier out of operative position when the cam block is advanced by its spring to an intermediate position against the short needle butts, and a cam mounted on the needle cylinder and adapted to shift said stop, release the lifting lever and yarn carrier and allow the yarn carrier to drop into l operative position at a predetermined point in the rotation of the needle cylinder a short distance in advance of the long butt needles beingbrought into action by the advance of said cain block.

3. In a knitting machine the* combination with the needle cylinder, shiftable cam block, a spring tending to shift the cam block toward the cylinder into operativeposition, a latch ring pivoted to the machine frame, mechanism comprising a cam on the pattern -drum for withdrawing the cam block into inoperative position, a yarn carrier pivoted on the latch ring, a lever for lifting the yarn carrier out of operative osition, and mechanism comprising anot er cam on the pattern drum for releasingnsaid lifting lever when the cam blockvis released and shifted toward operative position, of a stop piv'oted on the cam block and adapted when the cam block is advanced toward the needle cylinder into an intermediate position to engage said lifting lever and hold the yarn carrier out of operative position, and a cam mounted on the needle cylinder and adapted to shift the stop, release the lifting lever and permit the yarn carrier to assume its operative position at apredetermined point in lthe rotation of the needle cylinder.

4. In a knitting machine the combination with the needle cylinder provided with long and short butt needles, the latch ring, a yarn carrier pivoted on the latclrring, a yarn carrier lifting lever, mechanism for operating said lever to lift the yarn carrier out of operative position, a cam block shiftable toward and from the needle cylinder, mechanism for withdrawing the vcam block into inoperative position, to shift the cam block toward vthe cylinder, of a stop pivoted on thev cam block and adapted when the cam block is partially advanced against the short needle butts and the lifting lever is released by its operating mechanism to engage with said lever and hold the yarn carrier out of operative pos1-' y tion,

and a cam rotating with the needle cylinderand' adapted to shift said stop and release the lifting lever and yarn carrier,

apted to beheld by en- With the lifting lever out of the path of said cam when the cam block is fully advanced.

5*.In a knitting machine the combinaand a spring tending tion with the needle cylinder, latch ring, a

cam block shiftable toward and from the' needle cylinder, a spring tending to shift the cam block toward said cylinder, and mechanism for withdrawing the cam block into inoperative position, of a hook for holding the latch ring in operative position, an arm pivoted on the cam block transversely to the hook and adapted to disengage the the fast speed pulley, of a belt shifting cam provided with steps and inclines adapted by engagement with the belt shifter to rst shift the belt from the fast speed to the slow speed pulley, then to hold the shifter in slow speed position for a number of turns of the needle cylinder and finally to shift the belt from the slow speed to the loose pulley and stop the machine; a ratchet wheel fixed on the cam shaft, a chain wheel provided with a ratchet wheel loosely mounted on the cam shaft, .a rocker. arm having an actuating connection and rovided with pawls for turning said ratc et Wheels, a pawl lifter controlling engagement of one pawl with the first ratchet wheel, a chain mounted on the chain wheel and provided with a lug for lowering the pawl lifter into position to engage with successive teeth of the first ratchet wheel one at a time on each forward throw of the rocker arm, and a' machine frame in position to coperate with the yarn carrier when the latch ring is inoperating said lever to shift the yarn carrier out of operative position at the proper time, a cam block shiftable toward and from the needle cylinder and provided with knit- -normal operative position, mechanism for t ting cams, mechanism for withdrawing the cam block into inoperative position at the proper time, and means, tending to advance the cam block into operative position, of a lease the lifting lever'and allowl the yarn carrier to assume .itsoperative position at a predetermined point in the rotation of the needle cylinder.

In testimony whereof I hereto aix my:-

signature.

HUMPHREY EVANS. 

